OXFORD United have received recognition for their impressive start under Gary Rowett with a double award nomination.
Rowett has been shortlisted for the Sky Bet Championship manager of the month award for January, while defender Ciaron Brown is nominated for the league’s player of the month gong.
The U’s won three and drew three league games during an unbeaten January in the Championship, with victories at Millwall on New Year’s Day – the team’s first away win of the season – and at home against Blackburn Rovers and Luton Town in what was Rowett’s first full month as head coach.
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Brown meanwhile enjoyed a strong January, with three clean sheets obtained and the second equaliser notched in the 3-2 win over Luton.
Rowett said of Brown: “He’s been outstanding. He’s been absolutely outstanding, and one of our most consistent players.
“I think he’s played to a very high level. When I first came in, I’d seen a lot of him at left back and not so much of him at centre back.
“I think he’s been excellent and every bit as good as anything I’ve seen so far, so he certainly deserves that recognition.”
Brown has been shortlisted for the Championship player of the month award alongside goalkeeping duo Anthony Patterson (Sunderland) and James Trafford (Burnley), plus Coventry City midfielder Jamie Allen.
Patterson kept three clean sheets in five games for the Black Cats, while Trafford didn’t concede a single goal across five matches.
Rowett is nominated for the manager of the month award alongside Marti Cifuentes (Queens Park Rangers), Regis Le Bris (Sunderland) and Omer Riza (Cardiff City).
QPR won four of their five games under Cifuentes last month, Le Bris took 11 points from five matches with the Black Cats, and Bluebirds manager Riza was unbeaten and claimed 10 points from six games.